Snape's Request gave Harry a second chance? (Was: Snape/Dumbledore thingummy)

[frumenta]

No: HPFGUIDX 175797

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Goddlefrood" <gav_fiji at ...> 
wrote:
> My question for discussion is this: "Did Snape's request to 
> Voldemort play a larger or a smaller role in Harry's initial 
> survival because Voldemort failed to abide the terms of the 
> contract?"
> 
> You may proceed.
> 
> Goddlefrood
>

Mim:

It played a huge part. If Lily hadn't been offered a chance to live 
then her sacrifice wouldn't have protected Harry. Of course no 
credit should go to Snape for that, the outcome of his request was 
the opposite of what he had wanted, which was for Voldemort to kill 
Harry and James and spare Lily. Voldemort could have easily spared 
Lily, she was wandless and pleading and he could have just stupefied 
her, petrified her or a million other things and killed her son 
without any problems. But as JKR puts it he felt it was more prudent 
to finish them all. I have a serious problem with prudent, here, 
since when does Voldie care about prudent? In fact, considering the 
mother's sacrifice protection, killing Lily was anything but prudent 
but Voldie obviously didn't know that. But I could believe that even 
though he had promised Snape to spare Lily it was simply in 
Voldemort's nature to kill everyone and Snape obviously knew that 
which is why he also went to Dumbledore.